Man gets into fight; 4 hours later, his house burns down

By BY SARA SNEATH - SSNEATH@VICAD.COM
May 8, 2014 at 12:08 a.m.Updated May 9, 2014 at 12:09 a.m.

The house of a man involved in a fight early Wednesday morning burned down about four hours after the fight.

At 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, Victoria Police Department responded to a fight between Martin Martinez, 44, of Victoria, and Julian Cruz, 30, of Victoria. Martinez took himself to Citizens Medical Center with injuries from the altercation, said Sgt. Jason Turner with the Victoria Police Department.

Martinez was arrested at about 1 a.m. by officers at the hospital on a warrant charging him with violation of probation in a driving while intoxicated third or more offense case.

Martinez remained in jail as of Thursday evening.

At 3:44 a.m., about four hours after the altercation, the Victoria Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 1600 block of East Goodwin Avenue. Cruz lived at the house.

The majority of the 1930s frame house was consumed by the fire, said city of Victoria Fire Marshal Tom Legler.